How PT Helps Prevent Surgery After Sports Injuries?

The Role PT Plays in Preventing Surgery for Sports-Related Injuries

If you’re an athlete or enjoy playing sports, injuries are, unfortunately, a common occurrence. Fortunately, our Atlas Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine physical therapists can help you recover after an injury and avoid the need for surgery in many cases. 

Our team can help guide you through the preventive steps you can take to minimize your risk of sports injuries. If you sustain an injury, we’ll identify all the factors related to your injury and address them one by one.

Through our specialized programs, we can help you recover and improve your physical capabilities. We’ll take a holistic approach that fortifies your overall health and improves the skills necessary to maximize your athletic performance. 

If you’re an athlete looking to recover after an injury, prevent surgery, and get an edge on the field, court, or weight room, we can help. Our clinicians are experts in not only physical therapy but also strength and conditioning which is an integral component of an effective rehabilitation plan for an athlete.  Our programs are designed to help athletes withstand the physical demands of sports more effectively, minimizing the incidence of re-injury and the need for surgery.  

If you are trying to avoid surgery and wonder if physical therapy can prevent or delay it, the simple answer is yes! 

Most orthopedic-type surgeries are not urgent or emergencies. Although traumatic situations can be emergencies, most times, there is a significant period of time between diagnosis and surgery. 

Far too often, people mistake their symptoms for signs to rest or avoid the activities causing them pain. Even more frequent is the number of people who ignore aches and pains, thinking they will go away on their own, only to discover those early warning signs were the body’s signals to get help. Unfortunately, rest, avoidance, and trying to ignore or push through pain only lead to a bigger, often more complex, problem.

At Atlas Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, our physical therapists will assess your symptoms and identify the root cause of your particular situation. We will give you the tools to prevent, delay, or prepare yourself for surgery. 

We’ll guide you through a gradual progression to make sure you are ready to return without any limitations or impairments standing in your way. Furthermore, we have the ability to progress your strength, power, speed, and agility, or sport-specific activity like pitching, kicking, or sprinting. 

Rather than a “one-size-fits-all approach,” we believe every patient is unique and deserves a program tailored to their specific situation and goals. You are not merely treated but are guided towards a pathway of enhanced performance and overall well-being.  We will ensure you don’t just return to your sport or activity, but that you return better than before!

What to Expect at Your Physical Therapy Sessions 

Rehabilitation for an athlete should start immediately following most injuries to ensure the fastest recovery possible. One of our clinicians will thoroughly evaluate the athlete to determine the injury’s severity and identify any other weaknesses or limitations that may affect the athlete’s recovery, stability, or strength. 

Next, your therapist will create a targeted, individualized plan of care for you to promote accelerated recovery and future injury prevention. Our goal is to minimize the risk of needing surgery, so you get back to training and competing in the sport you love. 

For example, your physical therapist will start with pain management, restoring mobility to the injured area, and preventing any unneccesary strength loss. Next, we will focus on progressing your strength, power, and dynamic stability to prepare us for sport-specific progressions. Lastly, we will incorporate your specific sport’s demands to ensure there is no gap between what you have tested in rehab and what you will experience on the field, court, or in the gym.

Physical therapy at Atlas Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine will provide the foundation for successful training while reducing future injuries and avoiding surgery! 

Exercise of the Month

Single Leg Bridges

Start by lying on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and arms at your sides with palms down. Extend one leg straight, engage the abdominals, and slowly lift your hips towards the ceiling. Aim to keep your hips level and hold them at the top before lowering them back to the floor. Repeat as instructed by your provider. 3 sets; 10 reps; hold.

  • 2 sheets puff pastry
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 5 oz vegetable dip
  • 6 baby zucchini, halved lengthwise
  • 3-4 yellow squash, thinly sliced with a mandoline
  • 1 bunch asparagus, thinly sliced lengthwise with a mandoline
  • 1 1/2 c goat cheese
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Balsamic vinegar glaze
  • Mixed herbs, to serve

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